Belgium was among the first countries to implement an operational, multiple-use marine spatial planning system that covers its territorial sea and exclusive economic zone.

 

The Belgian part of the North Sea covers about 3,600 km2; its coastline is 66 km in length. Despite its small size, the Belgian marine and coastal area is used intensely.

 

 

 

The main drivers for spatial planning in Belgium came from the demand for offshore wind energy and international requirements for the protection and conservation of ecologically and biologically valuable areas.

 

Marine spatial planning in Belgium aims at achieving both economic and ecological objectives, including the development of offshore wind farms, the delimitation of marine protected areas, a policy plan for sustainable sand and gravel extraction, the mapping of marine habitats, protection of wrecks valuable for biodiversity, and the management of land-based activities affecting the marine environment. Together, these objectives provided the basis for a Master Plan.

 

 

 

The Master plan has been implemented incrementally since 2003 and has led to a more diverse zoning system for sand and gravel extraction that includes new management zones with sequential rotation for the most intensive exploitation areas, seasonally closed zones in which extraction is prohibited during fish spawning seasons, and an exploration zone where potential future use is examined.

 

Planned future initiatives concerning marine spatial planning continue to have a multiple-use character and include the protection of marine shipwrecks for archeological, biodiversity, and ecological interests, development of a marine component for existing terrestrial protected areas, and the allocation of research zones for alternative fishing methods.

 

In the context of the research initiative A spatial structure plan for the Belgian part of the North Sea (pdf, 16 MB) a comprehensive method was developed toward alternative spatial sea use scenarios. A ‘spatial sea use scenario’ can be defined as “a vision that projects the future use of ocean space based on a core set of goals and objectives and assumptions about the future”.

 

By developing spatial scenarios, future possibilities and conditions of the ocean area are visualized in a clear way, to make well-grounded choices and proactive decisions. The method defines six steps, essential for the development of alternative MSP scenarios, including (a) defining current trends, demands for space and conditions; (b) defining key values of the marine area; (c) defining strategic objectives and goals for the marine area; (d) identifying general spatial and temporal constraints (e.g., on the basis of existing regulation, physical characteristics or political opportunities); (e) developing alternative spatial use scenarios, each reflecting a priority set of goals, objectives and values; and (f) defining the significance and implications of each spatial scenario for the different functions and activities in the marine area.

 

 

 

For further information go to the website of the Management Unit of the North Sea Mathematical Models (MUMM)

 

Additional reading is also available on the references page of this website.

 

 

 

Douvere F, Maes F, Vanhulle A, and Schrijvers J. 2007. The role of marine spatial planning in sea use management: The Belgian Case (pdf, 978 KB). Marine Policy, 31:182-191.